Sai Baba the Master

August 26, 2005

Sri Manik Prabhu

Sai affirmed his identity with saints of yore. One day, he said that he

was once forced by six moslems to partake of mutton. He protested that as

a brahmin, he was forbidden from eating it, but they did not relent. Then

he covered the mutton with a cloth and prayed to God. At once it was

transformed into roses, each as big as the palm of one’s hand. Evidently,

Sai was identifying himself with the great saint Sri Manik Prabhu, the

third incarnation of Lord Datta, in whose biography is found this

incident.

A Great Moslem Saint of Emperor Humayun’s time

Mr. Kolhatkar reports a very interesting fact in his book on Sai Baba.

One day Sai said, “Long ago, I worked, ate and slept in the house of a

good brahmin at Paithan. Only Allah knows where he is. I was there even

1,000 years earlier! Once I lived happily at Prayag. I was old and used to

smoke. One day, a brahmin with a veena in his hand, came to me and told me

that a brahmin celebate named Mukunda was practicing austerities and said,

“Tell him to be patient and that his tapas will soon bear fruit.” When I

went to his retreat, Mukund and his dispciples grew wild and said, “A

moslem like you should not step in here. We’ll immolate ourselves in

protest and the sin will light on you!” “Do as you like, Allah Malik!” I

said and left. At the market place, I saw a young royal couple, evidently

in exile, with three attendants. They were begging for water to drink. I

gave them water from my kamandala. The princess drank it and sought my

blessing. I blessed them and said, “Go to Amarkota. You’ll have a son who

will become a king. I too shall go there!” So they left. After wandering

little, I too reached there and learned of the birth of a son named

Jalaluddin Mohammad to the prince. He is the famous Akbar.” Obviously,Sai

identified himself with a Moslem saint of the Mughal period. Mughal

historian Billigrami’s chronicle does contain facts corroborating Sai’s

story.

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